Presenter: Raymond Dionne, DDS, PhD

Format: Audio - MP3 File Download $25 or Compact Disc $45

The opioid overdose epidemic has continued in the US despite vigorous efforts at the national, regional, and professional levels. While the number of opioid prescriptions for acute and chronic pain have decreased, the availability of heroin, fentanyl, and other synthetic analogs has markedly increased the number of overdose deaths to these more potent opioids. The availability of naloxone has resulted in thousands of resuscitation by EMS in the community, but is also frequently cited as leading to increased abuse on the assumption that an overdose will be witnessed and successfully resuscitated. Rehabilitation services and foster care for orphaned children have been overwhelmed with low current success rates for medication-assisted treatment. Given the common pathways for substance use leading to abuse, dependence, addiction, and overdose, it is unlikely that a single 'magic bullet' will be developed to ameliorate this societal problem in the near future. This course will describe the etiology for the current opioid overdose epidemic and practical steps that dentists can take to minimize their contribution to drug diversion leading to substance use among adolescents and young adults which is often the first step on that slippery slope. ?